balboa

Balboa has established the colony of Santa Maria on the eastern shore in the province of Darien. But when the local natives tell him about the ‘other sea’ over the mountains – not to mention the kingdom where men drink from golden goblets and eat off plates of gold – the conquistador is ensnared.

Sadly, I could find no really comprehensive contemporary biographies about Balboa. Some earlier works from the 1800s and early 1900s are very romanticized – and very much a blend of fact and fiction.

When I found more contemporary looks at Balboa, the details were short and not that in-depth – often a part of a larger theme. But taking it all as a whole, it added up to some good reading – even if contradictions and inaccuracies are more the norm than the exception.

Historic Panama Web Page by Bruce Ruiz – This website was created by a gentleman in the early 2000s named Bruce Ruiz. The man passed away in 2003, but his son keeps the page online. It has a ton of information on colonial Panama, although there is a lot of inaccurate information. It’s very entertaining.

Balboa’s journeys were centered primarily in the region of what is modern-day Columbia and Panama. Below is a map showing off several key locations, such as the colony of Santa Maria, and the route Balboa would take to the Pacific Ocean.

Note: the Gulf of Uraba is located just east of Santa Maria on the map (it is not marked).